His Hope
by Blade of Justice
Summary: From beginning to end, from past to future... She was, and still remains, the final hope's final hope.


_"Koyomi."_

_"Haruto? What is it?"_

_"Here. Hold onto this for me."_

_"I don't mind, but... What is it?"_

* * *

Haruto Souma had lost his parents at a young age. Though changed forever, a promise to keep hope alive kept him going, and eventually it led him to a career in soccer... which met a similar fate as the one his parents had. He was thrust into a cruel ritual to bring forth hellish monsters into the world, and found himself as the only survivor... the loneliness of this fact alone would have consumed most people. To know that so many people had died, to know that they had all had monsters ripped out from inside of them and taking over their lives... The guilt that came with it all — why him? Why not someone else? What made him worthy?

To know that they were all alone having survived the ritual to do the very same to them, and that the same could still happen to them at any time? To know that there was a world of terrifying monsters out there...?

It could have consumed even the strongest of people.

All of it could have even consumed someone as strong as Haruto Souma as well.

He was able to fight back his despair, but it may have only been chance that he had been able to keep it there — just as it had seemed chance that a white robed wizard approached him with what he claimed was a second survivor. If not for that encounter... If not for that moment of being given direction, purpose, and duty... Where would he be? Where would he have gone?

It's easy to look to the heroes when in despair. Haruto Souma certainly did go on to become a great hero, worthy of many titles — Kamen Rider among them.

But where does a hero turn when they face despair?

Where can a hero turn when they need hope?

In Haruto's case... He didn't need to turn to anything. His hope was already there.

The second survivor that had been placed into his care had been what saved him. _Koyomi_... had been the thing — the person — that saved him.

At first, it was purpose. He had become gifted with the ability to use magic. He had the power to save himself and anyone who would ever need saving. He had memories of a life he could recall and look to when he needed it. Koyomi had none of these things. She had no memories, she had no magic, and she had no power — she needed his just to survive. How could he ever let himself fall into despair when this girl needed him? From there, from the brinks of despair that this purpose had saved him from, he questioned even more: What if there were more people? How could he let himself fall into despair when there were people out there these monsters would be going after now?

He had to do something.

This purpose became his hope. She had lit the flames of this purpose, just as her presence lit the flames of his soul as well. When the loneliness threatened to consume him, when the waves of guilt crashed against the shores of his heart, she was there. She was always there.

As he fought against the wave of despair that the Phantoms sought to spread, Haruto grew. As time passed, Haruto's hope was no longer just giving and protecting hope itself. And as he grew, he changed. He smiled more, he joked more, he played more. While he had always been one to seem laid back, it was impossible to deny he had finally settled into his life. He had finally started to find his own happiness. Despair no longer threatened him in his moments of weakness. The sea of his soul wasn't filled with guilt and despair, but with donuts and hope.

Inside of him, the very Underworld that reflected who he was itself also began to change. While it had once been a haunting reminder of his past, a hospital room that he could never forget... No longer did that sight fill his Underworld. It was gone from it completely. Haruto had been able to move on.

Haruto's Underworld was filled with his growing happiness. No longer was it filled with memories of loss. Now, Haruto's Underworld was filled with memories of his friends, of their time spent together, of all the good things that had started to happen to him... but most of all, it was filled with his hopes for the future. He hoped to defeat the Phantoms for good someday. He hoped to help Koyomi find her memories. He hoped to find a way to help Nitou live a life without having to consume mana constantly. He hoped Shunpei and Wajima and Rinko would be able to be happy.

He hoped these happy times with all of them would never end.

And it was all thanks to her.

No longer was it merely about a purpose. She was someone he had come to care deeply for. She was his friend. She was his confidant. She was someone that he could go to and she was someone he could be there for always. He didn't spend as much time with her as he would have liked to, but it was understandable why he couldn't. Her body was weak, and it required his energy to move. Likewise, he couldn't simply stay with her and give her his mana constantly, not with so many Phantoms to fight and people to save.

... even if, with more sincerity than he could have possibly realized at the time, he had already made the offer once, in a land filled with magic.

_They had never said it._

It became more and more clear as time passed, as things became more dire — as Haruto was forced to become more desperate. When the truth behind her past, behind how she came to be the "second survivor" was revealed to him... Haruto still thought of her, just as she thought of him.

_They had never kissed._

For her sake, he was willing to throw his life away if it would save her.

_They had never gone on a date._

For his sake, she gave up hers so she could save him one last time.

_They had never done many things._

To keep his last promise to her, he fought again. To protect the world from the Philosopher's Stone, he went into battle even after part of him would have rather gone to despair.

_But you only had to look at them to see it._

He carried her ring with him everywhere after that. He claimed to be searching for somewhere to leave her to rest, but the ring never left his hand... Perhaps it never would. He wanted to find somewhere for her to go, but at the same time... How could he let her go...? How could he let himself leave her behind...?

He was only here because of her. She had thought so highly of him, but the truth was that he wouldn't have been able to do _anything_ without her. And now... she was gone. So much had been lost, so little had been done... Whatever the words were — the chances were gone, never to be regained. Her life — their life together — was over. He wouldn't get it back even if he said please. He wouldn't get _her_ back.

All that remained was simply a ring. A ring and a promise.

A promise he didn't know if he could ever actually keep.

When Koyomi died, Haruto's Underworld changed once more. Where memories of the future had once been, where memories of his childhood had once been, now were memories of a girl. The girl that was gone forever. Now, all he had was a ring to carry with him and find somewhere to leave behind. A ring that a selfish part of him refused to let go. A ring that was all he had left of her.

A monster, a Phantom like no other, came for him. It took her ring and forced him to battle her memory... And then it forced him to battle himself. Face to face with his Underworld, face to face with his demons, both literal and figurative, he did not give in to despair as many would. For his Underworld wasn't a world of despair at all.

A world full of Koyomi such as that could only be a world of hope to him, but never one of despair.

A world he would never forget. A world he would always protect.

A world full of the things he would _always_ have of Koyomi.

As the dust settled from his battle, Haruto realized he had finally found the place to leave her ring.

It was a place she would never be forgotten. A place where he would always be able to find her.

He left her in his memories.

He left her in his heart.

* * *

_"This is my hope."_


End file.
